The 'Fishbowl Effect'

The Fishbowl Effect and You

Thank you for your attention!

In

Conclusion

On-Campus Interactions

The interactions you have with your school and students on-campus reflect on yourself and your abilities as a Resident Advisor.

When residents see you interacting with other students and attending school events such as pubs, fundraisers, spirit rallies, sports events, etc. they become more open-minded to the idea of attending those events.

When negative behavior is observed though, such as arguments with referee officials, violent behavior towards security/authority figures, or the misuse or mistreatment of school or residence property, residents see it as it being alright for them to do the same because they witnessed an authority figure (YOU) doing so, which can in-turn make a Resident Advisors job more difficult when attempting to resolve conflicts and other situations in residence.

The Amazing World of Online Media

Thanks to modern day technology and internet, everyone know's what's on your mind and what you've been up to as soon as you post a status update, or pictures from Friday night, videos from the week or a blog about you're favorite or least favorite actor.

The only thing people will not know is the context that you use. An innocent status update such as "homework is gonna make my head explode..." or something like "whoever tore down my bulletin board, I'm gonna get you!" can be taken out of the intended context making them very serious situations and threats.

A silly picture that has been taken means very little to someone who does not know the circumstances that the picture was taken in, and often leads to assumptions...

You got the job! You are officially a Resident Advisor, and that fact means that you have already demonstrated the necessary skills needed. Just keep on being who you are, do not be afraid to ask questions and grow, and enjoy all that you can about being a role-model in the residence community!

What is the 'Fishbowl Effect?'

Basically: the 'fishbowl effect' is a

metaphor. You are living in a fishbowl

where everyone around you is looking in

on you just to see what you are up to.

Most of the time, people don't even need

to see you to know what you are doing...

Six Degrees of Separation is the idea that any two people in the world can be connected through six or less intermediates (six or less people can connect them).

While off-campus, it may seem much less likely that word will travel back to campus, but at public places such as malls, concerts, movie theatres, convenience stores and even interviews in different cities than where your residence is located, it is possible to meet residents from your community and because of media such as YouTube and Facebook, it is also likely that someone within the residence community may be connected to a person who happened to, perhaps, attend the same party as you.

Off-Campus Interactions

Setting the bar, so to speak, early on in a relationship with residents is important. Something as simple as littering in a hallway is a good example. As a Resident Advisor, if you are in the vicinity when someone drops a wrapper or pop can on the ground you have two choices: remaining silent which gives the resident your permission to commit the act, or asking the resident to pick up what they had dropped which shows that you do not tolerate the act as well as the expectation that the resident solves the problem. If you choose to ignore the act of littering, it becomes harder to resolve the conflict in the future. How can a resident be expected to listen to what you have to say if they know you have ignored a similar situation in the past?

Setting time aside for yourself is very important. As stress builds, it may be more difficult to help when asked to mediate conflicts between residents. Pick a night or day to cool off and do a favorite activity, whether it be video games, working out, watching a favorite show/movie or whatever it is you need to de-stress.

There are multiple Resident Advisors for a reason: call on a fellow Resident Advisor and ask if they would not mind taking a conflict off of your hands, and remember, they may need the favor returned. This helps you build a healthy relationship with your fellow Resident Advisors.

Adjusting to the Fishbowl Effect

Not that you are limited to hanging out with only Resident Advisors. Having a group of good friends to spend free time with gives you another opportunity to get your mind off of residence life altogether, and the best group of friends to have is one that understands your situation and the expectations of being a Resident Advisor. It is wise to be careful about who you hang out with though. Being associated with a negative group of people can be much harder to deal with than actually being the negative role model.

For the social butterfly, it is possible to stay social without the constant worry of setting an example for others. Getting to know your fellow Resident Advisors on a personal level to the point where you are comfortable spending time outside of work together can help lower stress levels.

Your fellow Resident Advisors are in the exact same position as you: helping residents adapt to residence life, working on events and paperwork, working similar shifts, etc. By getting together with your co-workers, it gives an opportunity for you and them to vent about the going-ons of residence life to people that can relate, they can offer advice on situations, and help your workload become more manageable.

The thought of having an entire residence watching you may seem overwhelming, but the key is to take your new job in small strides, day by day. Once people begin to understand your personality, it becomes easier to relax around residents as they understand what is and is not acceptable while they are around you.

Just Remember...

Not that cause and effect is always a bad thing. Use it to your advantage. Set the example for others to follow, you may not reach everyone but those you do make all the difference. You may be amazed at how many residents actually watch and admire what you do for the community: through your events, scheduled shifts, and when you're not on-duty.

Cause and effect. For everything you do there will be some sort of reaction. For every rule that you break or ignore, there will be residents who think that they can then bend that rule. For every word that comes from your mouth, there will be residents who think it is alright to speak in the same way. It's hard to see how a positive influence affects others, but you just have to trust that you are making a difference, because you really are :)

Personal Tips

It's not what you say, it's how you say it. There are many different ways to say the same thing.

Some residents require a more direct tone of voice, but most of the time simply asking someone to "follow the rules that they agreed to" is enough to get complacency.

Residents are much more likely to listen to a friend asking politely than to a stranger demanding they do something.

Respect can be built on manners.

Do not be afraid to ask questions. There is no such thing as 'not enough knowldge' especially if you are not sure of how to handle a situation or residents

A Quick Context Game

Name the movie that the following pictures are from...